


Study Buddies

by alessandralee



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Chemistry, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 23:05:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2750459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alessandralee/pseuds/alessandralee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jemma and Fitz are no longer allowed to work together in chemistry class. Trip calls dibs on the smart girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Study Buddies

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt meme, but after last night's episode I definitely needed to find an AU to hide out in for a bit.

When third period chemistry rolls around, Jemma’s still angry with Mr. Sitwell. She and Fitz always do their best work together, and the fact that the rest of the class can’t keep up shouldn’t be allowed to get in the way of that.

Sitwell doesn’t even grade on a curve, so it’s not like they’re affecting anyone else’s grades. There’s no reason for him to split them up.

But Jemma learned at a young age that arguing with teachers, no matter how wrong they are, never ends well. She spent multiple days in the principal’s office when she was six because of this.

Jemma takes a seat at an empty table in the middle of the room. Fitz is at their usual table (front and center) with Mack, who he called dibs on as soon as he stopped grumbling about how unfair this all is.

It’s a smart choice; Jemma wishes she’d beaten him to the punch.

Now she has to wait for someone to pick her. Or maybe she’ll get lucky and someone will be sick or ditch class and she’ll get to work by herself.

The class is mostly full with less than a minute until the bell rings, and Jemma’s still sitting by herself. Then five people enter the room with only seconds to spare.

The tables behind Jemma and to her left are still open. Bobbi, Lance, Skye, Grant, and Trip all stop next to the desk behind her.

“Dibs on Simmons,” she hears someone, one of the guys, say.

Seconds later, Trip takes the seat next to Jemma.

So much for working alone.

Antoine Triplett is a god a Shield High School, although he’s certainly a benevolent one. She’s never heard anyone say a single bad thing about him (except that he runs a tight ship as captain of the baseball team). Jemma, on the other hand, is a mere mortal. She’s a mortal who plans to use her brain to accomplish amazing things and eventually eclipse the high school gods (although maybe not Trip, he has enough charisma to accomplish a lot), but for now she’s just a mortal.

Neither one of them says anything as Mr. Sitwell explains their experiment for the day, which involves studying and neutralizing a variety of acids and bases. Jemma did this exact experiment at science camp a few years ago, so she knows exactly how it’s going to go, but at least it’s not as dull as some of the other experiments Sitwell makes them do.

“I’m not going to do all the work,” she tells Trip bluntly after Mr. Sitwell is done with his explanation.

Skye tried that once, on a biology assignment last year. Fitz was out sick and the teacher partnered them up. She’d nodded and deferred to Jemma (even massaging her ego with a few remarks about how smart she is) until Jemma had done nearly half of the assignment without any input from Skye. She’d put her foot down after that, though, and Skye eventually pulled her own weight. Jemma even resisted the urge to correct Skye’s grammar on the final report. With the extra credit opportunity they were given they managed a 100.

Still, it was a hassle, and Jemma doesn’t want to go through that again. It was like pulling teeth.

“I don’t expect you to,” Trip just smiles at her like he’s amused by what she said, rather than offended.

At least that’s settled.

Jemma grabs their equipment while Trip gathers the various substances they’ll be using for the experiment. He has to carry each one back to their table individually, so Jemma has the first part of the experiment set up by the time he’s done.

“Could you please hand me the hydrochloric acid?” she asks. “It’s the one marked HCl.”

Trip chuckles, “I know which one it is, Jemma. I do actually pay attention in class.”

He’s taking her slight much better than Fitz would have. She’s the only person he’s good a taking criticism from and, even in her case, good is a relative term.

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes. “It’s not that I think you’re dumb, I just—“

“You’d better not, I’m ranked ninth in our class.”

She didn’t know that. She’d just assumed that since he was gorgeous and popular and athletic and gorgeous (did she mention that already) and good with people, he skated by. Maybe her tendency to assume is something she should pay a bit more attention to. She’s usually correct with her assumptions, though.

Clearly not today, though. It’s a small blow to her ego, being wrong.

She bows her head in embarrassment and tries to think of something redeeming to say. All she can come up with is statistics.

“So I’m ranked first and you’re ninth, which averages out for fifth. Fitz is second, don’t tell him I told you that he still thinks he can beat me before graduation, and Mack is ranked sixth, which gives them fourth place. However, chemistry is my strongest subject. Fitz is better at physics.”

“And?” Trip looks at her with that amused expression again, although this time it looks a bit more like he’s excited to figure out what’s going on in her brain.”

Jemma blushes, “We have to get a better grade than they do on this assignment.” 

She’s always been competitive, even if she never excelled at sports. As a child she needed to finish in class reading before all the other students, and she’s always felt good when she’s the first person to hand in a test. She and Fitz actually spent most of the sixth grade competing with each other for better grades. Eventually they realized that, together, they were even smarter. But sometimes they still race to see who can finish their calculus homework first.

Trip’s smile broadens and Jemma’s reminded why half the female population of their school (and a fair few of the guys) is so enamored with Trip.

“I think we can manage that,” he tells her.


End file.
